US: We are prepared to act on Syria if Security Council won’t

NEW YORK CITY, The United States of America – US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Haley stated that the “United States remains prepared to act” in Syria if the Security Council will not, during a United Nations Security Council meeting in New York City on Monday.

Haley specifically referenced a previous airstrike in retribution of an alleged Syrian chemical attack, and affirmed that the “it is not the path we prefer, but it is a path we have demonstrated we are prepared to take, and we are prepared to take it again.”

Furthermore, Haley accused the Russians and Syrians of never having any intention of implementing a ceasefire: “They planned for it. Over past two weeks the Russian and Syrian regimes have been busy labeling every opposition group in Eastern Ghouta a quote “terrorist group’ so they can exploit a provision in the ceasefire resolution that allows for military operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda.”

In response, Haley’s Russian counterpart, Vasily Nebenzia, stated that the fighters in Eastern Ghouta “have not separated themselves from terrorists, because what is being done by the groups is being coordinated from a single headquarters which is being led by Jabhat al-Nusra.”

Nebenzia and explained that “Al-Nusra used chlorine in Eastern Ghouta on the 5th of March.”

“All of this is being done in order to prepare the ground for the unilateral use of force against sovereign Syria, and we have heard hints of that in the statements of some delegations today,” referencing Haley’s previous remarks.

Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin has opened up how difficult his job can be at times. Further details can be read here.

Paul Antonopoulos is a Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies. He has an MA in International Relations and is interested in Great Power Rivalry as well as the International Relations and Political Economy of the Middle East and Latin America.